Nobue Iketani plays Tsuru Hanada, the proprietress of the Hanada Inn, in the NHK morning drama series "Bakebake" (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). She spoke about her thoughts on playing Tsuru, who is very fond of the heroine Toki (Akari Takaishi).
◇What kind of person is Hanada Tsuru?
"Bakebake" is based on the story of Koizumi Setsu, the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, and her husband Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), and depicts the heroine, who loves ghost stories, going about her everyday life with her foreign husband. The script is written by Fujiki Mitsuhiko, who has worked on NHK's "Asagaya Sisters' Relaxed Life" and WOWOW's "Shooting Break Series."
Tsuru, played by Iketani, runs the Hanada Inn together with Heita (played by Namase Katsuhisa). His tough and tough personality is what gives Toki emotional support.
Regarding Toki, she says, "I feel like she probably feels like she's her own child," and adds, "For Toki, Tsuru is someone she can say things to and ask for things she can't ask of her family, someone she can ask for help from in a different way than she would from family. When I go to my grandmother's house, I feel like I can rely on Tsuru in a different way than I do with my parents, so I think Toki feels the same way about Tsuru."
It was his first time meeting Takaishi, and he praised her, saying, "She's dignified, yet also very soft and natural in that space. She's amazing, considering she's still so young."
He revealed that he has worked with Namase, who plays Heita, "many times," and said, "I have a lot of respect and trust for him, so I haven't consulted him about anything regarding the acting (laughs). I'm sure Namase senses the atmosphere that expects Tsuru and Heita to have fun, so I try to actively do comical things."
Regarding Heaven (Tommy Bastow), "At first he's like, 'This is a bit of a problem, Foreigner,' but gradually he starts to accept her more than Heita, even if he's not overly proactive. Perhaps he senses something like a premonition in the relationship between Otoki and Heaven."
◇ "That's why the frog is the narrator!" Revealing his discovery in Matsue
The scene that left the biggest impression on him was when Toki and Fumi (played by Chizuru Ikewaki) come to sell clams.
"There are two types of clams, shelled and in the shell, and the two of them wanted me to buy the more expensive shelled ones, but the way they showed me the clams was indescribable, and I felt like I wanted to buy the shelled ones! It must be so hard to peel so many tiny clams! There was such a huge amount of shelled clams (laughs). I almost wish they had taken a close-up photo of them. I'm sure they were peeling them until the morning, telling ghost stories," he recalled.
She also revealed that she likes the narration by the snake (Watanabe Eriko) and frog (Kimura Miho) of Asagaya Sisters, saying, "When I went to see the house where Yakumo lived in Matsue, I heard a frog croaking in the pond in front of the study, so I thought, 'That's why the frog is the narrator!' and it made sense to me. Apparently there was even a snake in the garden. I thought that the frog and the snake had been watching over the couple's lives all this time."
Addressing viewers, he said, "The story revolves around the lives of Otoki-chan and Heaven-sensei, but the lives of the people around them are also portrayed in a warm and gentle manner, making it a gentle work. The title ' Bakebake' may give off a scary vibe, but that's not the case at all. Fujiki's script is wonderful, with the way it weaves together everyday life as it is, with great care, so I think the time you spend watching the drama will be a warm and enjoyable experience. Please be sure to watch it."
